1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel orthotic device for use in relieving heel pain. In particular, the present invention relates to an orthotic device involving the continuous placement of pressure to a certain area of the foot in order to alleviate pain resulting from Plantar Fasciitis.
2. Description of the Related Art
Plantar Fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain, debilitating countless people of both active and sedentary lifestyles. The condition is caused by overstressing and subsequent inflammation of the plantar fascia, which is the dense, fibrous sheath of muscle tissue located longitudinally on the bottom of the foot, stretching from the calcaneus bone at the rear of the foot to the metatarsal heads leading to the toes in the front of the foot. Heel spurs, which consist of calcinaceous deposits that grow on the front of the calcaneus and point into the plantar fascia, can exacerbate the pain to an unbearable extent. Patents's complaints of heel pain often originate in the first step they take out of the bed in the morning, when the plantar fascia is stretched violently out of the natural contraction that occurs during a state of sleep. This pain may ease gradually throughout the day, only to return the next morning.
Sufferers of heel pain due to Plantar Fasciitis and/or heel spur commonly seek treatment through physical therapy, corticosteroid drugs, surgical procedures, and a myriad of orthotic devices, cushions, and gels. The complexity of treating this ailment is supplemented by other biomechanical factors, such as pronation (rolling in of the feet), supination (rolling out of the feet), weakened ankles, extra body weight, improper footwear, loss of the body's natural shock absorbers, flattened or dropped arches, and weakened high arches.
The prior art includes several orthotic devices intended to treat heel pain of various types. Devices exist to hold, immobilize, and/or support the heel and/or leg of the user. Patents have been issued for inventions that involve L-shaped leg braces with various immobilization features, elastic footwraps which provide compressive forces on the bottom of the foot, and orthotic insoles to be worn with shoes for arch support and heel cushioning. The existing devices claim to alleviate heel pain by cushioning and cradling the heel, applying accupressure to various foot locations using gel platforms, and placing a softer material surrounded by a more resilient one to treat pain originating from the calcaneous. While these devices provide some temporary relief, they have not typically resulted in a pain-free experience for patients. There is, therefor, a need for a device and method of treatment which relieves the pain associated with Plantar Fasciitis to a greater extent than is provided by current treatment protocols.